Writers hoping to break into the world of paid work find that many literary journals and small presses still struggle to stay afloat and won't pay for writers' work. Small presses do, however, often sponsor writing contests to raise money, stay solvent and award the best new writers of the day.
Knowing that the general public typically does not buy books of poetry, poets have a tough time getting paid for their work unless they enter contests which can cost the entrant $5 - $25 in entry fees. These fees do allow small presses to continue offering a publishing opportunity for newbies and not so new-bies.
Whether a writer buys the current Writer's Market or Poet's Market, an investment in reading about writing is generally a wise purchase. Current publications of both of these reference books offer the most up-to-date web addresses and editors' names and emails for contact purposes. Writers should never skimp on current reference information. Sending a poetry submission to last year's editor won't get a submission in the door.
Magazines That Pay for Fiction
Glimmer Train Press pays up to $700 for short fiction. The editors say, "We are interested in literary short stories, particularly by new and lightly published writers."
Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine pays $15 - $65 and three contributor's copies per story. EQMM is published ten times per year and looks for short stories of mystery, crime or suspense; very little poetry is accepted. Guidelines are available on the website.
American Short Fiction pays $200 -$500 for literary fiction of 2,000 to 15,000 words. The editors say they don't want "young adult or genre fiction." They are open to publishing mystery or speculative fiction if it has literary value. Their short story contest opens Sept. 15 and ends Dec. 8th - first prize is $1,000, second prize is $500.
Magazines That Pay for Poetry
Cricket Magazine pays up to $3 per line on publication. Cricket is looking for "serious and humorous poetry, nonsense rhymes for young readers, ages 9-14." They do not want "forced or trite rhyming or imagery that doesn't hang together to create a unified whole." The editor's advice: "Be sure to familiarize yourself with the magazine."
Poetry Magazine pays $10 a line with a minimum payment of $150. This prestigious magazine was established in 1912. Its works are often included in The Best American Poetry collections each year.
Margie, The American Journal of Poetry is currently sponsoring the 8th annual editor's best poem prize contest. The deadline is Sept. 30th, 2009, and writers may enter online. Margie also offers the "Auntie Ann" poetry book award contest (9-30-09 deadline) - postal submissions only. Grand prize of $1,000 will be awarded for best poetry book.
Help for Writers
- Writer Beware keeps track of literary agents, publishers and contests. This site is devoted to scam alerts.
- The Academy of American Poets is a comprehensive poetry web site.
- Literary Contest Caution helps writers discern the difference between opportunities and scams.
Many opportunities exist for writers hoping to break into the competitive poetry or short fiction arena. As Robert Frost once said, "Writing should begin in delight and end in wisdom," a worthy goal for every writer.
For more ideas on how to submit your writing, read How to Publish Poetry and What is WEbook?
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